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Wednesday, 11 June 2014

Companies pour cash into battle for Facebook ‘Likes’

Businesses are becoming increasingly aggressive in their efforts to encourage Facebook users to click “Like” when they come across their page, with some resorting to lucky draws and gifts to increase the number of “Likes”, information technology professionals say.

The war for “Likes” has even extended to the Facebook pages of news outlets, with 7Day Media briefly overtaking Eleven Media after a vigorous months-long campaign.

Yan Naung Soe, managing director of Myanmar Soft-gate Technology, said the effort to increase Facebook likability was not new. He said it began with advertising companies trying to impress clients by getting Facebook users to “Like” Facebook pages that were advertisements. “Now, media are following suit,” he said.

Popular domestic and foreign brands like Super Coffee Mix, Sunsilk Shampoo, Pond’s and Nivea have used facebook advertisements to increase awareness of their products.

Product awareness and quality are, however, different and businesses should put more focus on creating a quality product rather than advertising, information technology expert Chan Min said.

Zaw Ye Naung, online editor-in-chief of Eleven Media Group, said some media outlets, including those connected to the government, had begun pouring resources into promoting their Facebook pages.

He said 7Day News Media began promoting its Facebook page about five months ago, when it trailed Eleven Media’s Facebook page by 50,000 likes. Through promotions it surpassed Eleven’s Facebook page by nearly 180,000 “Likes”.

Zaw Ye Naung said Eleven had begun promoting its Facebook page on a small monthly budget. Facebook “Likes” do not mean that the person who clicks “Like” actually reads the page, or the news updates on it, he explained. With a small monthly budget, Eleven is adding about 100,000 new Facebook “Likes” a month.

Zaw Ye Naung said that some news media close to the government were spending more than US$10,000 a year to gain Facebook “Likes” even though these numbers do not translate into readers.